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Hi there,
Sorry you are feeling low. One thing I wanted to mention is you may want to have your Dr. check all of your vitamin levels if you have not already. I was diagnosed two years ago and was doing great is at first then felt miserable again on and off for the past year. I had thought maybe I was getting accidently glutened or even worse maybe this was what my life was going to be like going forward. I finally went to my endocrinologist and had her run a full blood panel and we uncovered that I have a B12 deficiency. I am now being treated for that and most all of my symptoms are better. My symptoms were stomach pain, extreme fatigue, neuropathy, strange rashes on my legs, and tachycardia. I was also feeling anxious and depressed which was really unusual for me. So while it takes time for sure to heal and deal with everything with this diagnosis make sure you are not overlooking something else that may be causing some of your symptoms. Hope you start to feel better soon!

Hi there!
My husband and I went to the Bahamas last year and had a great trip. We stayed at Sandals and not Atlantis, however I have stayed at Atlantis before my diagnosis and we did actually visit Atlantis last year during our trip. I did eat at the sports bar while we were visiting and when I told them I had Celiac disease they sent the kitchen manager out. They definitely said they are very well trained on food intolerances and cc. I had a good experience just at their sports bar. We were actually planning on eating at Bobbie Flay's restaurant there, but it was not open at the time we were visiting. So that would be another option for you. I think if you call ahead and talk to the concierge they should be able to help you with coordinating everything so you are safe during your trip. I hope you have a great time! Atlantis is a really great resort to visit!

I have not had mine go up, however I did have elevated cholesterol prior to my diagnosis. I did not want to go on a statin since I am usually THAT person that gets all the bizarre side effects they tell you on the commercials, so my doctor has me taking fish oil instead twice a day. I have to say it works great with no side effects. My cholesterol came down to 156 after six months of taking it. I would see if your doctor would allow you to try that for awhile first before going on medication. My cardiologist actually says that in Europe that is what they typically give patients with cholesterol issues, not drugs. Make sure you get the ones that say no fish burps though.

Dear Damian,
I am a gluten-free potential restaurant patron and as such, would like to educate you a bit on your anti-"gluten-free" rants on facebook.
(For those not on Celiac.com, Karina's Kitchen blog, or any number of other high-profile gluten-free websites, here is a sample link to the online explosion discussing this "chef" and what he posted on his facebook wall for the entire world to see: Damian Cardone )

I am certain you know absolutely nothing about Celiac Disease, Gluten Intolerance, or various other reasons why one would find it necessary to maintain a strict gluten-free diet, but as you call yourself a "chef" and claim to have studied under an entire host of more famous, better educated chefs whom I am certain would be embarrassed to be lumped together with you right now (severely anger any large people group who sustains your livelihood and you stand alone), I decided I should personally educate you.

I should also mention that I have been one of those "liberal hippie idiot" diners (and anyone who knows me is spitting coffee at their computer screens right now) ordering the gluten-free meal. I have been gluten-free for five years now. I was gluten-free before gluten-free was cool.

You posted:
"May god help the Liberal hippie idiot whos going to ask for gluten free pasta this weekend."
and...
"Gluten free is bullXXX!! Flour and bread have been a staple of life for thousands, THOUSANDS of years. People who claim to be gluten intolorent dont realize that its all in there disturbed liitle heads. People ask me for gluten free pasta in my restaurant all the time, I tell em sure, Then I serve serve em our pasta, Which I make from scratch with high gluten flour. And you know what? nothing, NOTHING! ever happens! People leave talking about how good they feel gluten free and guess what, They just had a full dose! Idiots!"

(by the way... you misspelled "intolerant" ... just an ironic little heads up.)

If you would like to know why it is that your patrons leave and you never see any effects of their just being poisoned, it's because (and this is KEY for you to understand) this is not an "allergic reaction" type dietary restriction on the same level as a nut allergy which would cause anaphylaxis. Many of those who are gluten-free do have a secondary skin-inflammation that happens when they use lotions or creams with wheat protein, but that's not central to the actual dietary need to remain gluten-free. This is an "allergy" that happens in the INTESTINES. Now, I doubt you have the type of establishment in which diners hang out for hours on end after being poisoned, but if you did... I feel quite certain that you would be witness to some of the most atrocious "reactions" you have ever witnessed.

If you have ever had food poisoning, ever had the flu, ever laid on the floor of the bathroom with your cheek on the cold ceramic tile - shaking and shivering - you have a clue as to what happens when you poison your diners with "high-gluten flour" pasta. I can't even imagine anyone hiring or continuing to employ such a flagrant liability as you, but I can guarantee if I were to eat at your restaurant and become that sick, I would know without a doubt that I had eaten gluten and that you and your restaurant were the culprit. And I would show up at the restaurant the next day (or 48 hours since usually I can't leave the house for that long when I get poisoned) and discuss these ramifications in person.

Furthermore, the effects of such a poisoning can last many days. Those with full-blown Celiac Disease actually have intestinal damage which can be seen during a scoping procedure following even a slight gluten-ingestion (such as the gluten in a beef base containing Modified Food Starch coming from wheat or barley)... much less a full onslaught from being intentionally poisoned. I am sure that any unsuspecting diner would welcome you into the exam room while they have such a procedure preformed, and you can even have one as well for comparison purposes!

Lest you think I am being hard on you because I don't understand the stressful nature of your job, my husband is a chef. A really awesome one at that. He has won competitions all over the country and has ACF medals stashed in his glove compartment, cups in the garage, and various drawers all over the house. He teaches morons uninformed chefs like yourself. He judges competitions and tests chefs for their next certification level. What is your ACF certification level? I bet I know.
When we go out to eat, he helps me decipher menu items under the lens of his experience in kitchens for the past 20 years. He has multiple family members who are gluten-free and has many, many years of experience and I am sure he would gladly come to your restaurant and inform you personally of the culinary malpractice of which you are so boldly admitting.

Finally, Mr. Cardone, good luck finding employment. Last I checked, a quick "googling" of your name brought up blog posts like this one, articles quoting your facebook rants, and various websites mentioning your ineptness. Not ONE result was a good review, a competition you have won, or a newspaper article singing your praises.

I would recommend an apology, and that you take some continuing education classes on allergen awareness, celiac disease, cooking for those with intolerances, and perhaps good business practices in the electronic/social media age.

I don't know if there are other circumstances involved in your relationship, but I can tell you from my experience I was a wreck after my diagnosis and I even told my husband I wanted him to leave me. We have always had a great marriage, but mentally I was not in a good frame of mind. I had been diagnosed with a condition that effected my heart back in 2005 (which they now believe was related to the undiagnosed Celiac Disease) so after the Celiac diagnosis I thought he would be better off without me. I was crying all the time and lashing out at him for no reason. I couldn't understand what had happened to me. I had always been a very positive, happy person, but I found myself in a really dark place. I am fairly young still and I felt like my body was giving out on me. My husband has always been supportive through everything I've gone through, but even he knew that I needed to talk to someone about what I was feeling. I ended up seeing a therapist and she really helped me. I was against it at first since I'd never talked to a professional before, but I finally realized I needed to feel better in order to cope with the celiac disease diagnosis and move on with my life. I am now about 8 months after my diagnosis and I am doing amazingly better both physically and mentally. For me the therapy worked as well as I think the longer I was away from gluten it was like the black cloud that was over me lifted. My husband has noticed that I am my old self again and we are doing great. So don't give up...in my fragile state of mind I was willing to dump the love of my life. Looking back, I cannot believe some of the things that came out of my mouth. Hope all works out for you too!

Reminds me of a joke. What do you call someone who finishes last in their class in medical school? Doctor In all seriousness sadly there are many out there who are uninformed about Celiac. I did actually have a pleasant experience the other day while eating out for my husband's b-day. Our waiter was wonderful and seemed to know so much about Celiac disease as I was thanking him for all of his help he said he is in nursing school and they just spent a week studying Celiac disease. Good to know someone is getting educated.

Definitely you need to let yourself go through a grieving process. When I first was diagnosed it took me at least three or four months before I didn't have a good cry every few days, but now I'm finding I am so much happier. I try to focus on all the great things that have come from my diagnosis, like not passing out from my heart condition on a regular basis. It's so true what everyone says on the forum, it does get much easier. Hang in there!